The present invention is directed to an electrical connector in which metal contacts have a press-fitting fastening part that is fastened to a housing by press-fitting, and a contact part which contacts both opposite major surfaces of a stamped mating contact of a mating connector engaged parallel to a circuit board.
The electrical connector shown in FIGS. 7A-7C is a conventional electrical connector for engaging a mating connector in a direction parallel to a circuit board on which the electrical connector is mounted (see Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. HEI 9-289053). This electrical connector 100 is equipped with an insulating housing 110 which is mounted on a circuit board (not shown in the figures), and a plurality of contacts 120 which are attached to the housing 110 in a row. Each of the contacts 120 is formed by the stamping of a metal plate, and has a press-fitting fastening part 121 which is fastened to the housing 110 by press-fitting, a contact part 122 which is positioned further forward than the press-fitting fastening part 121, which protrudes from the front surface 111 of the housing 110, and which contacts the mating contact (not shown in the figures) of a mating connector engaged parallel to the circuit board with both opposite major surfaces of the stamped metal plate, and a solder connection part 123 which extends from the rear end portion of the press-fitting fastening part 121, and which is connected by soldering to a through-hole in the circuit board. The press-fitting fastening part 121 has a plurality of projections 121a and 121b which are formed on the upper and lower shear edges of the stamped metal plate, and which fasten the contact 120 in place by biting into the housing 110. As a result of two points of contact being formed with the mating contact, contact with the mating contact can be securely accomplished even by one side in the direction of thickness of the plate, so that the reliability of this contact can be increased.
However, in the case of this conventional electrical connector 100, the press-fitting fastening parts 121 of the respective contacts 120 are fastened by press-fitting toward the front surface 111 of the housing 110 from the rear surface 112 of the housing 110. Accordingly, when the mating contacts of the mating connector contact both opposite major surfaces of the contact parts 122 of the contacts 120 in the direction extending from the front surface 111 of the housing 110 toward the rear surface 112 of the housing 110, the projections 121a and 121b of the press-fitting fastening parts 121 may move in cases where the contact force is large. As a result, the contacts 120 may slip out of the housing 110.
Furthermore, the rear edges 124 of the contacts 120 on the opposite sides of the contacts 120 from the contact parts 122 are exposed to the outside from the rear surface 112 of the housing 110. As a result, in cases where dirt or other members, e. g., housing bodies or electrical parts such as resistors, etc., approach the exposed portions of the respective contacts 120 after the solder connection parts 123 have been connected to the circuit board by soldering, adjacent exposed portions may be short-circuited by such dirt, etc.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector in which the contacts do not slip out of the housing when the mating contacts of the mating connector contact both opposite major surfaces of the contact parts of the contacts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which is devised so that even in cases where dirt or other members, e. g., housing bodies or electrical parts such as resistors, etc., approach the rear edges of the contacts, there is no short-circuiting of adjacent contacts by such dirt, etc.
The electrical connector of the present invention comprises an insulating housing that is mounted on a circuit board, and a plurality of contacts that are attached to the housing. Each of the contacts is formed by the stamping of a metal plate, and has a press-fitting fastening part that is fastened to the housing by press-fitting, and a contact part which is positioned further forward than the press-fitting fastening part, and which contacts the mating contact of a mating connector engaged parallel to the circuit board with both opposite major surfaces of the stamped metal plate. The press-fitting fastening parts of the contacts are fastened to the housing by press-fitting from the bottom side of the housing along a direction perpendicular to the direction of engagement of the mating connector, and substantially the entire rear edge of the contacts on the opposite side of the contact from the contact part is covered by the housing.
Furthermore, it is effective if each of the contacts has a solder connection part which is connected by soldering to a through-hole in the circuit board, and solder connection inspection recesses which are located in positions corresponding to the solder connection parts of the contacts, and which extend from the rear surface of the housing to the front surface, are formed in the bottom surface of the housing.